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Watership Down
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Watership Down
Year of release: 1978.........................................................
Directed by: Martin Rosen(begun by John Hubley)
Studio: Nepthene Productions
Where to buy the film and the book: Amazon.com
Where to buy the soundtrack: Amazon.com (many thanks to Tim fay for the information)
"Watership Down" was the first animated feature from Martin Rosen, who decided to make the film after finishing the novel on a plane trip. He had at first contracted John Hubley to direct the film but took over when Hubley later bowed out of the project.
The novel, written by British author Richard Adams, was a bestseller in 1972 and the film was well received during it's 1978 run. According to reports Rosen pushed for a PG rating for the film and the marketing of the film was definitely geared towards an adult audience. The movie release poster, showing the stark image of Bigwig in silhouette trapped in the snare, was meant to warn parents away who may have thought the film was a typical Disney animal outing.
"Watership Down" boasts some beautiful(if not sometimes inconsistant) animation and a wonderful score, but first time exposure should be to the book. The film relies heavily on the fact that many in 1978 were familiar with the story and the film may be a bit confusing to those unfamiliar with the rabbits language and events such as the sequence in Cowslips warren.
